Purdue's Moore is IU's pain

February 22, 2009|AL LESAR Tribune Staff Writer

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Some day, maybe soon, Indiana is going to be a good basketball team. Saturday, though, wasn't the day. That one belonged to Purdue. E'Twaun Moore hit the first two shots of the game, both 3-pointers, and rode that confidence to a 26-point effort that was integral in the Boilermakers' 81-67 victory over Indiana. "When you hit the first few shots, the others come easier," said Moore, who connected on 10 of 14 shots (five of six 3-pointers). "When you can score 26 points and take 14 shots, that's an efficient game," Purdue coach Matt Painter said. "(Moore) didn't force anything. He let things come to him." The Boilers (21-6, 10-4 Big Ten) staked themselves to an 11-2 lead and never allowed Indiana (6-20, 1-13) a serious opportunity for recovery. The Hoosiers stayed in the game, trailing just 39-30 at halftime, by outrebounding Purdue 19-17 in the first 20 minutes. "I was dead-shocked that we had a two-rebound lead at halftime," said IU coach Tom Crean, who is searching for any positive he can find right now. Verdell Jones III had 16 points, Tom Prichard had 12 points, eight rebounds and four steals and Kyle Taber scored 10 points. "I felt we simply outscored (IU) in the first half," Painter said. "We weren't getting (defensive) stops. Our rotation was slow and they were getting put-backs. We have to do a better job of not allowing layups." Painter sympathized with Crean's frustration. He hasn't forgotten the 9-19 mark in his first year at Purdue. "After a while, you get tired of being competitive and you want to win a game," Painter said. "He's building. At times, he's playing for another day. I remember, people were laughing at Purdue (in 2005-06). We knew it would take three or four years." Nobody's laughing now. The Boilers remain one game behind Big Ten-leading Michigan State. Moore took his turn with the scoring lead. JaJuan Johnson had a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, along with five blocked shots. Chris Kramer had five steals to go with seven points. "There aren't many weaknesses with that (Purdue) team," Crean said. One question mark is the physical status of Robbie Hummel. Painter said the sophomore's back felt fine, but several collisions on the court left him with a sore head and a bruised left knee. "His switch is either on or off," Painter said of Hummel. "He always plays hard. I hold my breath every time he goes down." Indiana stubbornly kept the difference to about 10 points until Bobby Riddell hit a 3-pointer with 2:12 to play that gave the Boilers some breathing room, 71-57. "This is a rivalry game," Kramer said. "Any time you beat Indiana on your home floor, it's good." Crean said he turned to IU athletic trainer Tim Garl, an Elkhart Central High grad who is in his 29th year with the Hoosiers, to give his squad of rookies an idea of what to expect from the rivalry. "We were serenaded by about 150 (Purdue) students singing the fight song when we arrived (Friday) for the shoot-around," Crean said. "Our guys figured this is special. "They learned when you come in here with this Indiana jersey on, a lot's gotta be laid on the line. It starts with your accountability." Next year, they'll know what to expect.